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Syrians not happy over UN report

Syrians remained on edge a couple of days ago as the UN Security Council met to review a second UN report on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Since the release of the first interim report in October, Damascus has tried to debunk the international investigation. Allegations that it is a political ploy to destabilize Syria and the region have reverberated in the streets, boosting patriotic sentiment.

The first report found that the assassination could not have happened without the knowledge of top officials. On October 31, a Security Council resolution threatened "further action" if Syria did not cooperate with the investigation. The second report said there was new evidence to support earlier findings and that new leads were being investigated.

Two weeks ago, the Syrian Judicial Committee presented Syrian witness Hussam Taher Hussam on TV, where he alleged that his testimony had been coerced by Lebanese officials. "Part of the strategy of the government was ... to try to cooperate as much as they can so they cannot be accused of noncooperation," said Marwan Kabalan, a professor at Damascus University. "They have also tried to explore the gaps in the report by casting doubts on witnesses."